SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Undocumented immigrant youth now have a free ride to college through the Noble Network of Charter Schools.

The charter school chain is partnering with 14 colleges in multiple states to provide financial aid to undocumented immigrants for four years, an initiative made possible through president Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Education Week reports.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals allows certain undocumented immigrants who came to America before age 16 to apply for renewable two-year permits that exempt them from deportation, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

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In Noble’s 16 high schools, about 90 percent of students – who are mostly low-income minority students – go on to college, but undocumented immigrants could not secure Pell Grants like their classmates, so the charter network partnered with the Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation to fund $12,000 scholarships for about 70 students to attend their choice of 14 colleges, Ed Week reports.

Penny Pritzker is President Obama’s commerce secretary.

“Certainly (these students) had obstacles others didn’t have,” Michael Milkie, Noble CEO, told the Sun Times.

“It’s a really unjust situation,” Noble chief college officer Matt Niksch told Ed Week. “We have a strong culture of college-going in our school. We tell students if they work hard, study, and excel, they will have opportunities, but this breaks down for undocumented students and it is acutely painful.”

The participating colleges include mostly small liberal arts schools like Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, Wasbash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana and Holly Cross College in South Bend, Indiana, according to media reports.

“These colleges — including five in Illinois — will give the approximately 70 students enough annual funding to close the financial gap between what they  receive through the Pritzker scholarships,” the Sun Times reports.

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“That money will make continuing their education a reality. In addition to this, the school will encourage these   students to stay connected to other Noble alumni who can give them advice   about college, tutoring and more.”

Milkie said the program “is a game changer” for the charter network’s undocumented students.

“It was like they won the lottery,” Milkie told the Sun Times of students’ reaction to the new scholarships.

Noble didn’t stop with the financial support, however.

The charter network will also provide participating students with a mentor to guide them through the transition to college and any issues they face while pursuing their degree, Ed Week reports.

“I wouldn’t be able to go to college without” the scholarship program, a student identified only as Arely told the Sun Times. “I can dream a little bit more now.”

Bryan Traubert, a board member of the Pritzker Foundation and husband of U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, told the Sun Times the grants are designed to replace Pell Grants undocumented students don’t qualify for.

“They get into college but without any scholarship money… To put it very simply, these are Pell grants and MAP grants for undocumented students,” said Traubert, whose foundation committed to four years of funding for the class of 2015.

“These kids are part of America, and if all you did was care about the economics interest of America, this is such a waste of human potential,” Traubert said. “The kids worked hard, they had grit, they did everything we asked of them and they got into college. They feel betrayed.”

Students who receive a Pritzker Access Scholarship are also expected to contribute $2,000 per year toward their education, according to Golder College Prep principal Rose Alanis.

“It’s a huge breakthrough having this money available,” she told the news site. “We can place them in top-tier schools instead of community college.”